Trolling device



I April 28, 1959 W. A. HIERING TROLLING DEVICE Filed June 9. 1958 "'iiiill ll m m u W .W\

ATTURNEY United States Patent TROLLING DEVICE William A. Hiering, West Point Island, N.J., assignor t0 Orfley Company, Ltd., West Point Island, NJ., a limited partnership association of New Jersey Application June 9, 1958, Serial No. 740,804

11 Claims. (Cl. 248-42) This invention relates to an outrigger trawling device adapted to be secured to the outside of a boat hull at preselected positions. The device of the present invention is of a sturdy construction and enables the adjustment of the position of the outrigger fishing pole to be made rapidly and accurately in two planes, in a novel arrangement such that a change of position of the outrigger fishing pole may be made in vertical and horizontal directions rapidly and accurately, and the parts locked in their selected position against accidental displacement.

Examples of practical devices embodying the invention are described below and in the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited thereto, but covers all other forms coming within the scope or purview of the disclosure herein.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, elevational view, partly fragmentary and sectional, of a trawling device embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof, taken at line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and v Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken at line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention comprises an elongated tube journalled in the apertured brackets 11, 12 for slidable vertical movement and for horizontal rotation in said brackets, as indicated by the arrows 13, Fig. 1, and 14 in Fig. 3. The brackets may be secured to the boat hull H (Figs. 1 and 3) by any suitable bolt or other means 15. The elongated tube 10 and brackets are provided with complementary intergaging means to interlock the tube with the brackets in preselected position and hold the tube so interlocked against accidental displacement. Said means may comprise a plurality of studs 16, 17 extending outwardly of the elongated tube at two axially spaced points therealong (Fig. 1) and recesses 18, 19 (Figs. 1 and 3) in the spaced brackets, to receive said studs. Spring means may be provided engaging the elongated tube and urging the same downwardly in the brackets to move the studs thereof into the bracket recesses, such as (Fig. 1) a spring 20 secured, at opposite ends, to a pin 21 fixed to the bracket 12 and to a pin 22 fixed to the tube 10. The pin 21 may extend through the tube 10 (Fig. 4) so as to limit the extent of sliding movement of the tube 10 in the brackets 11 and 12 in an upward direction. The tube 10 is provided with an arcuate positioning blade 22 secured thereto in any desired or convenient manner, so proportioned and arranged that it will register with the recesses 18 in the bracket 11 and thus dispense with the necessity for any stud on said tube for registration with recesses 18 of blade 22, or may be additional to studs 16 on tube 10 to engage the bracket recesses 18. Blade 22 extends from the upper end of the tube 10 at a radius drawn from a fixed pivot point 23 disposed outwardly of tube 10. Outwardly extended parallel arms 24, 25 (Fig. 2) are secured to tube 10 directly or through a circular fitting 26 fixed to the tube 10 so as to essentially form a part thereof; said arms 24, 25 extend and serve as a pivot point or bearing for a hinge tube 30 which is thus pivotally mounted at 23 on said elongated tube 10. The hinge tube 30 has diametrically aligned openings 31, 32 therein to freely receive the positioning blade 22. A position locking tube 34 is slidably disposed in the hinge tube 30; the outrigger fishing pole 35 may (Fig. 1) be secured thereto by a pin 36 passing through both of said members. Locking tube 34 is provided with diametrically aligned openings 37, 38 preferably proportioned to freely receive the positioning blade 22. The locking tube 34 is normally urged slidably downwardly in hinge tube 30 toward the pivot point 23 to urge the marginal portions of the locking tube 34 defining diametrically aligned openings 43, 44 therein into contact with the arcuate positioning blade 22. This slid ing engaging action for securing the locking tube 30 at the desired preselected position on positioning blade 22 may be attained by spring means 39 (Fig. 1) secured at opposite ends 40, 41 to the locking tube 34 and to the pivot pin 23, notches 42 being provided at spaced points'along the positioning blade with which the marginal edges of the locking tube defined by the openings 43, 44 therein may selectively engage.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the tube 10 and arcuate positioning blade 22 and the arm 26 are essentially unitary, carrying the hinge tube 30 and associated parts and that all of the mentioned parts may be moved axially of the boat by rotating the tube 10 in the brackets 11 and 12, the angular position of the outrigger fishing pole 35 relative to hull H, being adjusted by movement of the locking tube 34 first axially in tube 30 to move the marginal edges 43, 44 defining the diametrically aligned openings in the tube 34 clear of the positioning blades 22 and then sliding the locking tube 34 therealong to the desired point; the locking tube is then released and will move into engagement with the preselected slot 42 in the blade 22.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An outrigger trolling device for securing an outrigger fishing pole to a boat hull at preselected positions outwardly of the hull comprising brackets adapted to be secured to the hull in vertically spaced relation and having openings therethrough axially aligned when the brackets are so secured to the hull, an elongated tube vertically slidably and horizontally rotatably positioned in said bracket openings, complementary interengaging means on said tube and brackets to interlock the tube with the brackets in preselected position and hold it so interlocked against accidental displacement, an arcuate positioning blade extending from said tube, a hinge tube pivotally mounted, at one end, on said elongated tube, said hinge tube having diametrically aligned openings spaced from the pivotally mounted end of said hinge tube freely receiving the positioning blade so that the hinge tube may be rotated on its pivot point and thereby moved along the positioning blade.

2. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, means limiting the excess sliding movement of the elongated tube vertically in said brackets.

3. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, complementary interengaging means on said hinge tube and positioning blade for interlocking the hinge tube preselected position relative to the positioning blade and to hold it so interlocked.

4. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, said complementary interengaging means on the elongated tube and brackets comprising projections and recesses to receive the projections.

2,ese,21s

5. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, said complementary interengaging means on the elongated tube and brackets comprising studs extending outwardly of the elongated tube and recesses on one of the brackets to receive said studs.

6. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, said complementary interengaging means on the elongated tube and brackets comprising studs extending outwardly of the elongated tube at two longitudinally spaced points thereon and recesses on each of the brackets to receive said studs.

7. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, a position locking the tube slidably disposed in said hinge tube, adapted to receive an outrigger pole, diametrically aligned openings in said locking tube freely receiving said positioning blade, and complementary means on the locking tube and positioning blade for interlocking the locking tube in preselected position on the positioning blade.

8. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 7, said complementary means on the locking tube and positioning blade comprising spring means engaging the locking tube and urging the same toward the pivot point of the hinge tube thereby urging the marginal edges of the locking tube defining said diametrically aligned openings into engagement with the locking tube to thereby interlock the locking tube in preselected position along the positioning blade.

9. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 7, said complementary means on the locking tube and positioning blade comprising notches provided at spaced points along the positioning blade with which the locking tube marginal edges defining the diametrically aligned openings may selectively engage to thereby interlock the locking tube in preselected position along the positioning blade.

10. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 1, a stop pin secured to the elongated tube and extending therefrom and adapted to abut one of the brackets to limit the vertical movement of the elongated tube in the brackets.

11. In an outrigger trolling device as set forth in claim 6, spring means engaging the elongated tube and urging the same downwardly in the brackets to move the studs thereof into the bracket recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,320 Eckert et al Nov. 13, 1883 724,782 Becker Apr. 7, 1903 1,181,491 Sutclifie May 2, 1916 1,634,162 Tesk June 28, 1927 2,727,707 Wells Dec. 20, 1955 

